Improvement in rotary steam-engines



gtinitml (meg-y JAMES WHELPLEY, 0F BOS-TGN, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 83,427, dated October 27, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern: l

Beit known that 1,-JAMEs D. WHELPLEY, of Boston,in the county of Suiiolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Revolving Cylinder-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the y, same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a transverse section. Figure 2 is a plan ofthe valve and valve-gearing induction-side.

Figure 3 is a section at 'right angles to section of iig. 1, thronglithe trunnionof the valve-chest.

Figure et is a plan of the machine in position. Figure 5 is an end elevation induction-end. l Figure (i is thevalve and valve-gearing exhaustside. Y Figure 7, the exhaust-passages. Figs. 2, 3, 6, 7 are drawn from cuts or sections at right angles to the section of iig. 1, and are taken on the lines marked on that figure 2, Q3, 6, 7 respectively..

Like iigures indicate like parts in all lthe figures. A is a cylinder, of iron, having on its ends the in duction-valve chest B and exhaust-valve chest C. At right angles to the axis-of this cylinder is excavated a cylindrical cavity, D, ill-which plays piston E, having attached to it piston-rod F. This rod is hooked `to ring G, the inner `.diameter of which is somewhat greater than the diameter ofcylinder A, increased by the length of stroke of theengine. The centre of ring G is adjusted, at a p oint half the length of the stroke distant from the axis of cylinder A, by means of a liiction-cradle; This consists of two frictionwheels b, iixed in the frame of the engine, and bear- :engine freer from friction' than in the ordinary crosshead type of engine, or in the oscillator'.

Bymaking ring (t concentric with cylinder- A, and as large as possible, the sliding friction is considerably reduced, andbut little power lost, for its motion upon cylinder A will be inthe direction of general revo-. lution,oand at a lrateltster; than the motion of the cylinder, in the proportion i"of the diilerence between the diameter of ring G and ring a, divided by the diameter of ring a.. Thus, ring Gr being 4 and ring a 3, theratio of travel would be 1 in S, or ring a would move, on cylinder A, one revolution relative in every three oi' the engine.

Friction-rolls b are set up against the ilange oiV abutment-ring G by the device shown in iig. 5. l

cis a box set in a recess of the frame, so as to receive pressure at an angle of forty-live degreeswith the frame.

At the bottom of this recess is a wedge, f, on which l nions, but I prefer that ring G shall belt the cylinder y A as near the centre as possible.

At the induction-end of cylinder A, valve-ports 'e open into valve-chest B. This chest is continued into a sort of neck or trunnion which rests, through a stuling-box shown in tig. 3, upon the induction-pipe H, and revolves upon it.

This stuffing-box is of the following construction: Inside of the neck of valve-chest. B are three gibs, j, pressed upon the pipe H by set screws a. At the outer end oi these is a bevelled pacldng-plate, fu, litting the neck tightly, and at the end ofthe neck a stuiing-box, w, is screwed, having its male end bevelled in the opposite direction. Between these bevelled surfaces the packing y is inserted, which is of course pressed very tightly upon pipe H.

Induction-pipe His iirmly fixed to the frame ofthe machine, and projects into the outer chest, B. Two ears project from it, continuous with the sides of he pipe, into eccentric, It, of the valve-gear.'A Around t is eccentric is the gib i, fig. 2, which operates to work valve-plate h. In the centre ofthe eccentric, lt, a space is cut, as shown, iig. 2, in which eccentric, m, and gib lare operated. Eccentric, m, is a circular plate, xed eccentrica-ily upon rod n, passing through inductionpipe,.H and out through a stuiiing-box, as shown in iig. 1. Upon turning thi's rod by a hand-wheel or other suitable device, eccentric, k, will follow its motion,

so that any desirable amount of 'lap and lead can. be 1 On the exhaust-side ports g; open into valve-chest C, which is only a narrow given to -the induction-valve.

passage in which the valve plays. This valve consists of a plate o, iig. 6, packed on the cylinder-side by a steel bar set into notches in the valve, and pressed against the cylinder-valve seat by a spring or other suitable device, or it may consist of a steel bar'set in a notch in the side of the cylinder, and similarly pressed against the valve, or pressed by steam against the valve. Vithin valve-plate o is eccentric, rr, held by rod t, passing `tlnough the trunnion k, and operating the valve through gibs s. The outer valve-seat is like the valve-seat of an ordinary lvalve, and the steam exhausts into passages q, communicating freely with the open air. The whole oi' this side of the engine is supported on trunuion L, a hollow steel shaft which carries balance-wheel L. In small machines, cylinder A might be lagged out on either the induction or exhaust-side, so as to make the balance-wheel a part of the cylinder.

The essential novelties of this engine are mainly points of construction requisite for Working successfully a revolving cylinder-engine. With them a revolution of six hundred a minute has been reached on an engine of six-inch cylinder and .four-inch stroke; and at a lspeed of between three and four hundred a minute, machinery has been run by the engine, estiwhereby its axis of revolution coincides with the' axis of revolution of cylinder A, substantially as described.

3. The arrangement of the steam-cylinder D, revolving on lits axis, perpendicular to thea-nis of its piston-cavity, and carrying the reciprocating piston E, combined with rod F, abutment-ring G, and frictionroll a., substantially as described.

4. The arrangement of the steam-cylinder D, the reciprocating piston E, rod F, abutment-ring G, and friction-rolls b, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the eccentric, m, gib I, eccentric, k, gib 1', and valve-plate h, with reference to the rod n, and'ears on the induction-pipe H, substantially as described.

6. The arrangement of the valve-chest C, valveplate o, with the packing 1), and adjustable eccentric, 4',

substantially as described.

7. rPhe arrangement of the cylinder A, with the trunnion K revolving with it, abutment-ring Gr, and its friction-cradle b and a, and the neck B of the steamchest revolving with cylinder A, with reference to the xed steam-pipe H, substantially as described.

8. The arrangement of the valve-.plate h, revolving about a ring, k, held from revolution by ears on pipe H, thereby allowing linear motion when combined with the adjustable interior eccentric, m., pivoted on the axis of revolution of cylinder A, substantially as described.

. JAMES D. IWHELPLEY.' Witnesses:

SEGOB Sm'ronnc, THOs. WM. CLARKE. 

